A survey published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons suggests that a majority of surgical residents may prefer to work under flexible duty hour policies compared to standard policies.

The research team surveyed participants in the Flexibility in Duty Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) trial regarding their perceptions of the effect of duty hour policies on aspects of patient safety, continuity of care, resident education, clinical training, and resident well-being. They found that, in the standard policy arm, as PGY level increased, residents more frequently reported that duty hour policies negatively affected patient safety, professionalism, morale, and career choice. In the flexible policy arm, as the PGY level increased, residents less frequently perceived negative effects of duty hour policies on resident health, rest, and time for family/friends and extracurricular activities. The research team notes that the proportion of residents expressing a preference for training in programs with flexible duty hour policies increased with PGY level, with a preference for flexible duty hour policies even more apparent among residents in the flexible policy arm. Learn more...